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Mattingly expects fewer mistakes

Mattingly expects fewer mistakes

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Don Mattingly

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ANAHEIM -- Dodgers manager Don Mattingly had Dee Gordon out early with instructor Maury Wills on Friday working on bunting, one of several fundamental breakdowns the Dodgers experienced while being swept over three games in Oakland this week.

But Mattingly emphasized that neither Wills' tutoring of the leadoff hitter, nor the extra batting practice taken by a handful of players afterward meant there was panic in the air after losing three straight (on eight total hits) and four of five.

"Extra hitting on the road is nothing new for us, it's just routine," he said. "We're not going to change who we are. We are understanding that we'll go through stretches when we lose games here and there. I tell the guys we'll be patient with that as long as we're fighting and not lose our identity and play smart.

"Some of the frustrations in Oakland were that they had too many easy innings, and we made too many mistakes on defense. We weren't executing. As a club, we can't afford to overcome a lot of mistakes. We've got to play mistake-free. We didn't do that, and we didn't deserve to win those games."